Engine



J. M. CHRISTMAN ENGINE I Filed March 14, 1942 INVENTOR.

BY I

Patented May'll, 1943 ENGINE John M. Christman, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich,

assignor to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of ltfichigan Application March 14, 1942, Serial No. 434,636

9 Claims.

This invention relatesto' engines and more particularly to devices for holding connecting rods during some of the engine assembly operations. s

In the manufacture of engines on a progressive assembly line, it is the practice to connect many of the parts into sub-assemblies which are joined together at stations along the line. One of these sub-assemblies includes the crankcase, the crankshaft and connecting rods attached to the crankshaft and projecting through openings in a wall of the crankcase over'which the cylinders are later secured. The small bearing ends of the rods project through the crankcase wall and are free to swing and strike against the crankcase wall prior to attachment of the cylinders. When the rods extend at an angle to the vertical, such as in radial and V-type engines,

Fig. 4'15 a plan view of a modified form of holding device applied to the crankcase assembly.

The drawing shows a conventional V-type engine subassembly consisting of a crankcase i0, crankshaft ll mounted in the case and connecting rods I! that are attached at their large bearing ends to the crankshaft. The small bear-' ing ends of the rods, to which pistons (not shown) are attached, extend through openings l3 in angularly disposed walls H of the crankcase into which the engine cylinders (not shown) project. Studs ii are secured to the crankcase the free ends of the rods. will cause considerable damage unless provision is made to hold them away from thecrankcase wall through which they project. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide connecting rod holding device that can be quickly applied to and removed from an engine crankcase assembly. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting rod holding device that is selfretaining when applied to an engine crankcase assembly.

Another object o! the invention is to provide a connecting rod holding device that consists of a continuous member formed to be readily applied to a rod and crankcase to prevent the rod from contacting the crankcase. wall through whichit projects. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a connecting rod holding device of a strand of resilient metal formed with a central rod encircling coil that can be decreased in diameter to permit elongation of hooked end portions for engaging studs projecting from the crankcase.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an engine crankcase assembly showing applied rod holding devices;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one of the holding devices;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the holding devices positioned around a connecting rod but unattached to the studs projecting from the crankcase.

adjacent the openings and project from walls I and are utilized to secure the cylinder structure to the crankcase. The crankcase illustrated is designed for use in an engine having rows of cylinders extending at an angle, but it will be understood that the invention can be applied to engine structures in which the cylinders extend in various other relations. I r

In order to prevent the free ends of the rods from striking against the crankcase wall through which they project, it is proposed to provide holding devices that can be readily anchored to and removed from the studs. The devices can be formed of one or more pieces that are bent to provide means for encircling the connecting rod and means for anchoring on the studs projecting from the crankcase.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the device comprises essentially a continuous member formed of metal or some other suitable material. In order to prevent the member 20 from marring the engine parts it can have a protective cover 2| formed of rubher, or some similar material, treated to resist the deteriorating action of oil. The member III is formed with a centralcoiled portion 22 of sufllcient diameter to pass over the projecting small end of a connecting rod but of less diameter than openings ii in the crankcase wall. The end'portions 23 of the member 20 project in opposite directions from the coiled portion and have hooked extremities 24 for engaging around studs I5. The end portions can be tangential to the coiled portion, but such relation is not essential.

To apply a holding devicewhen formed as'a rigidstructure, it can be located with the hooked extremities aligning with oppositely disposed studs adjacent one of the crankcase openings and then moved downwardly, with the hooked ends partially surrounding the adjacent studs, until the end portions lie against the crankcase wall the same side of the crankcase wall.

from which the studs project. The coiled portion of the device will pass over the free end of the connecting rod and will encircle it to prevent its contacting the crankcase wall. The end portions immediately adjacent the coil can be bent to extend parallel with the axis of the coil, as indicated by numeral 25, so that the coil can lie within the wall opening. This 'ofisetting of the coiled portion of the device from the hooked extremities of the end portions is necessary where the bearing end of the connecting rod can move into the opening.

The holding device member 20 can be, and preferably is, formed of a strand of relatively still! but resilient wire. With a device so formed, the distance between the hooked extremities can normally be less than that between. the. studs to which it is to be attached, see Fig.3. The coiled portion is moved over the free end of the rod and one hooked extremity is engaged on a stud and the other hooked extremity is pulled until the device is elongated sufficiently to engage it with the selected stud. This elongation takes place through reduction in the diameter of the coiled portion of the member. Obviously, the woundup coiled portion exerts tension upon the anchored hooked extremities of the member causing them to be self-retaining on the studs. Applying and removing such a device requires very little effort and can be rapidly accomplished.

In Fig. 4, there is shown another form the invention can take. In this instance, the device is formed of two similar members Ill and iii each having a looped central portion 32 and end portions 33 extending in the same direction and having hooked extremities 34. These members are each formed of a continuous strand of relatively stifl resilient wire and are bent so that their hooked ends are normally closer together than the studs to which they are to be applied. The looped portions. are placed about the free end of the rod facing opposite directions to form an enclosure about the rod and the ends are spread so that their hooked extremities can be applied around adjacent studs projecting from Due to the resiliency of the members, the hooked extremities try to spring back to normal position and will described are simple in form, can be readily applied to and removed from a crankcase assembly, and will emciently hold connecting rods away from the crankcase wall through which they project. The devices herein described are useful to hold the free ends of the piston rods so that they will not strike the crankcase when it is turned or tilted in assembling other elements therewith.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment,the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The inventionistherefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device, for application to studs projecting from a crankcase wall adjacent an opening through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion of the assembly of an engine to prevent the rod from striking against the wall, comprising a continuous formed memfree end of the rod to limit its movement within the wall opening, and hooked end portions projecting in opposite directions from the central portion for engaging around studs disposed op from a crank case wall adjacent an opening againstthe wall, comprising a strand of resilient through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion of the assembly of an engine to prevent the rod from strikins wire formed with a' central coil-of smaller diameter than the wall opening for encircling the connecting rod to prevent it striking the wall and with hooked oppositely extending ends engageable with oppositely disposed studs.

3. A device, for application to studs projecting from a crankcase wall adjacent an opening through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion'of the assembly of an engine to prevent the rod from striking against the wall, comprising wire means encircling said rod to prevent its contact with the wall through which it extends, and retainer means extending from the rod encircling means detachabiy engageable with studs extending irom the wall adjacent the opening.

jecting oppositely from the coil, said coil being of suflicient diameter to pass over the small end of the rod but of less diameter than the opening, said hooked ends being extended by force exerted in opposite directions suflicient to reduce the diameter of the coil tobe engaged and released from oppositely disposed studs adjacent the opening.

5. A device, for application to studs projecting from a crankcase wall adjacent an opening through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion of the assembly of an engine to prevent the rod from striking against the wall, comprising a continuous member having a central portion, formed in a coil of less diameter than the wall opening but large enough to pass over the small end of the rod, and hooked end portions onset in an axial direction from the coil and extending radially of the coil in opposite directions, said device being applied by engaging the hooked end portions with studs so that the coil lies within the opening below the innermost position of the small end of the head.

6. A device. for application to studs projecting from a crankcase wall adjacent an opening through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion of the assembly of an engine to prevent the rod from strikingagainst the wall, a strand of wire having a central coiled portion and end portions extending outwardly in opposite directions from the coiled portion and i hooked at their extremities, said device being normallyot less length than the distance between the studs to be engaged and extensible through winding up the coiled portion to engage the studs, the coiled portion or the wire having a diameter less than the wall opening and suflicient to clear the free end of the rod.

I. A device, for application to studs projecting from a crankcase wall adjacent an opening through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion of the assembly of anthrough which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion of the assembly of an engine to prevent the rod from striking against the wall, comprising means encircling the free end of the rod and or less diameter and in alignment with the opening in the crankcase through which the rod projects, and means extending from the encircling means for engaging studs adjacent the opening through which the rod projects, said encircling means being flexibly de-. Iormable to permit application and removal or the engaging means toand from the studs.

9. A device, for application to studs projecting from a crankcase wall adjacent an opening through which the free end of a connecting rod extends during a portion or the assembly 01' an engine to prevent the rod from striking against the wall, comprising a flexible strand of relatively stifl. wire bent to form a coiled central portion and end portions with stud engaging extremities, and means covering the wire, said coiled portion having a diameter suflicient to clear and encircle the projecting free endof the rod and of less diameter than the opening through which the rod extends. V

" JOHN M. CHRISTMAN. 

